Lisa Dobriskey leads the way to World Championships

The Aviva London Grand Prix continued over the first weekend of August, and in spite of miserable weather, Britain’s hopes were strengthened by the women’s midi-distance runners.

Helen Clitheroe produced a stunning performance in the women’s 5,000m finishing second with a time of 15:06.75 behind USA’s Lauren Fleshman, and beating her personal best by 20 seconds in the process.

Meanwhile in the women’s 1500m, Russia’s Irina Maracheva maintained a competitive pace throughout which allowed Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey and Helen England battled to claim first and second place. Despite England’s victory in Birmingham’s UK Championships in early July, Dobriskey claimed success ahead of an almost entirely American and British Diamond League final.

Christine Ohuruogu described her performance as “really appalling”

Britain’s Olympic champion, Christine Ohuruogu, didn’t have the best of days competing in the women’s 400m sprint; she finished last, as did Martyn Rooney in the men’s. Despite describing her performance as “really appalling,” Ohuruogu remains confident in sight of Daegu – even though she has only been training for two weeks since returning from injury and having avoided a lifetime Olympics ban for anti-doping violations in 2006. The victor, USA’s Sanya Richards-Ross, disguised an inconsistent season by beating three trailing Jamaicans to the post and claiming the second-fastest time in the world this year with 49.66.

Puerto Rican, Javier Culson, avenged his phenomenally close defeat in the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix 400m hurdles to Briton David Greene, by winning in the London finals with 48.33. More woe for Britain came in the form of Rhys Williams, who finished outside of the GB qualifying mark.

In spite of a disappointing sixth place finish for Britain’s Tom Parsons in the high jump, national favourite and World Championships gold medallist Phillips Idowu, claimed an acceptable third place in the men’s triple jump, behind USA’s Christian Taylor who unexpectedly lagged six places behind Idowu in the Monaco Herculis last month.

Britain’s women joined Aikines-Ayreetey in producing disappointing 100m sprint results, with no GBR representatives in the 100m women’s final.